We applaud launch of 10-Year Health Plan, but there are still shortcomings 

The UK government published its 10-Year Health Plan on Thursday, setting out its ambitions to reform the health system and shift the focus from sickness to prevention.

As a cancer prevention charity with a vision of a world where no one dies from a preventable cancer, we welcome the Plan’s direction but there are many key areas of health policy where it simply falls short of what the public needs.

Positive inclusions

Many of the commitments in the Plan had already been announced and were warmly received, such as the expansions of free school meals and the Soft Drinks Industry Levy.

Encouragingly, the Plan also includes new mandatory measures that mark a meaningful step towards creating healthier environments for all.

These include:

• Mandatory healthy food sales reporting for all large companies in the food sector
• A new mandatory Healthy Food Standard to improve the healthiness of sales
• Updates to the Nutrient Profile Model, used to set marketing restrictions on junk food
•  A 10% uplift to restore the value of the Healthy Start scheme from 2026 to 2027
• Mandatory labelling on alcoholic drinks to include consistent nutritional information and health warning messages.
• A place-based approach to physical activity, including £250m for 100 places via Sport England, at least £400m for local community sports facilities, and new school sport partnerships
• A national walking and running campaign led by Sir Brendan Foster
• The development of a new physical activity strategy

These measures are welcome steps forward in improving our food and drink environment and enabling people to be more physically active.

We hope the forthcoming Food Strategy will drive deeper systemic changes to ensure affordable, accessible healthy food for everyone in England.

Critical missed opportunities

On alcohol, the Plan falls short of prioritising the range of evidence-based policies proven to reduce alcohol consumption that causes around 17,000 UK cancer diagnoses each year.

Notably, it fails to include minimum unit pricing for alcohol in England, despite its success in reducing alcohol-related deaths in Scotland and Wales. Worryingly, England continues to lag the devolved nations on this crucial policy.

The Plan also makes no mention of strengthening marketing restrictions on alcohol, which enables industry to continue to normalise drinking as an aspirational lifestyle choice.

Given the rising number of alcohol-related deaths each year, we are urging the UK government to urgently deliver a National Alcohol Strategy for England. As outlined in our recent letter to the Prime Minister during Cancer Prevention Action Week, we continue to call for bold action on alcohol-related cancer.

Equally disappointing is the absence of action to strengthen protections and support for breastfeeding and infant feeding. There are no new mandatory, independently enforced regulations on the composition, marketing and labelling of baby and toddler foods. This is a missed opportunity, particularly in light of the UK government’s stated goal to raise the healthiest generation of children ever.

We will continue to urge the government to adopt the recommendations of the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study on infant and follow-on formula.

Turning Ambitions into Action

This Plan arrives as Labour marks its first year in government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer. This government now has the opportunity – and responsibility – to turn its prevention agenda into lasting structural change that improves the nation’s health.

The upcoming National Cancer Plan for England presents a further chance to address modifiable risk factors and fill the gaps left by the 10-Year Health Plan.

We welcome the Prime Minister’s willingness to challenge accusations of ‘nanny statism’ and urge the government to ensure all health strategies are protected from undue industry influence.

We want prevention to be the foundation of all health strategies. We stand ready to bring our scientific and policy expertise to the table – and we’re calling on the UK government to work with us to turn bold ambition into real change, helping millions live longer, cancer-free lives.